Failed Jedi
by Kiel Paxton
Summary: A short intro of a character who had been a Padawan and was expelled from the Order


The view from the gutter was breath taking. Ito blinked to clear his head looking up into the morning light and traffic of Coruscant. A constant hustle and bustle surrounded him yet he was detached from all that as always.

His simple workman's uniform was soaked in the grime of the gutter, he was accustomed to the smell of it long ago. Awake he remained idle bemoaning his separation from the City and its people. Exile from the order meant no job prospects, it is not like they trained him to become an accountant.

A failed Jedi had no prospects or opportunities. They were protected and sheltered. As a heretic there was no such help, no job to take no part of society open to him. The Order has political and economic power used to keep him apart from galactic society as forcefully s the Order shunned him.

The hero ad example he sought to be made him a lonely pitiful bum. His master called it his continuing trial but years later he sees it as his failure. Doubt, anger, hopelessness and pain bubble up through his hang over. Ito still resist these dark thoughts but long sought to augment his meditations with stiff drinks. Drunk he could more easily find peace and hold off the darkness another day, only drunk could he find the light to touch the force now, even faintly.

A coin dropped onto his chest, placed there by a random passerby. Ito made a grunt of acknowledgement for the act of pity. Ito rolled to his side, his face wetting from the filth of a hundred species, to search for landmarks to discover where his night had ended and he remained.

As he often did in the mornings his mind drifted back to that fateful day his lie was changed.

Ito strolled amid grand majesty of the Jedi Temple but saw only delusional self-righteousness. Tall pillars and grand views of the capital, artwork celebrating millennia's of the orders' history embolden him to rebel. He held his head high and his shoulders firm as he entered the outer chambers of the reassignment council.

"I am Ito Tokagawa, padawan to Ancel Retainer, I wish to address the c realignment council" he declared strongly to the reception droid. His confidence meant nothing to the collection of metal and circuitry.

"Ito, your case trial is to begin shortly so you are to wait here till summoned" the machine coldly stated.

He caught sight of his master, Ancel, walking on the catwalks above leading to the council. His masters' presence, tall and kindly, did not give him the usual warming comfort but rather a sense of disappointment and resolve. Large heavily adorned doors slowly opened in silence before him. Ominously they moved to reveal no greeter only an empty hallway.

"Enter for your judgement Ito"" the droid clipped. Ito replied "I enter not to be judged but to be true to the force" knowing his words ere wasted on the droid as much as they were likely to be wasted on the Masters.

The realignment council chamber was ornate in its simplicity as was the Jedi way. The Masters sat in high chairs encircling over the round empty floor Ito stood in. They were in the highest levels of one of the temple towers with a stunning view of the city and its constant swirl of motion and lights.

He chose to begin the show. "I am here to stand by my convictions to serve the will of the force."

His Master addressed the realignment council from his lower sitting chair "Ito has refused a commission in The Republic Army, he will not fight the separatists as the High Council has directed of us all."

Master Hister looked over Ito and Ancil with piercing eyes before choosing to ignore Ito. "Master Ancel, the rejection is fact and will be addressed. We are here to deal with the reports of heresy spoken."

While Ito had foreseen this Ancel showed shock. "I reported no heresy and if asked would have described it as the strong will of youth before the education of experience.

Hister dismissed this with a wave of his hand, "Padawans rejecting orders while telling the council he will of the force while the Republic is in crisis, this cannot ne unaddressed."

Ito stood forward and spoke boldly "The Republic is in crisis because it has decayed. Warring on those who wish to leave is not protecting but destroying the principals of the Republic and the Jedi. Both seek to maintain control and power that is the path to the dark side of the force. The will of the people and the living force re served by improving the Republic from within not propping it up with violence." Years later Ito would see how prophetic this words were.

Master Genine now spoke "This is not a forum for your dangerous beliefs padawan rather a discussion of how to deal with your errors." There was no tone of compassion or patience in her voice.

"I see no error in my words and deeds. Nor do I see how disagreeing with the council to be an act of heresy. I was taught only the Sith dealt in absolutes. And that to selfishness and seeking power is the dark side. I speak out because our code demands we resist both. I have not taken my trials but it is possible this now is that challenge. My trial is to stay true to the light side even if that means challenging the order and the council." This brought murmurs among the masters. Ito hoped his words made these beings think.

"Yes, it is shown you do not understand padawan. Unlike your trials would have been this council will judge if you are fit serve the Jedi support corps or be exiled as a heretic. It does not serve your cause to admit heresy and demand judgement. There will never be a trial for knighthood for you Ito. We judge if you can safely remain within the periphery of the order." Ito grasped that it was worse than if he were to fail the trials, he was being denied the chance and cast into the role of the farmers, librarian and others who failed or branded and enemy of the Jedi.

Ito quickly overcame his stock with his training and in peace saw that he could not remain with the order if it was on this path. He could not yet see how he could help the order if exiled. He fought off panic and fear. "To serve others selflessly is the path of a Jedi. I cannot force free beings to stay in a political structure and claim to serve them. I also cannot allow the order to lead itself down this path and serve it selflessly. Ito resigned aloud. "To remain with the order even at the lowest farthest end of its bureaucracy…..I cannot serve on your path. I must sacrifice my place ad my position just as I beseech he the order to forgo its place and position. The path of the light requires me to sacrifice this to preserve my integrity while helping the order see the example of my path."

Several seconds of charged silence befell the chamber. Ancel locked sad eyes upon Ito that showed a spark of respect. Master Genine finally rose to address the chamber. "This is no Grey Jedi, this is a padawan courting the dark side. His own words show he will not he will not learn or change. His own words seek to tell the order what the force is and want. Heresy has lead to much suffering over the history of the order. We must not foster and develop Dark Jedi, which this one is soon to be if he is not already." Itos' lightsaber flew from within his robes to the hand of Master Hister. "Yes" Hister said softly "this one is not on the path of a Jedi, we shall now vote if he can be trusted to return.:

Slowly each member of the realignment council turned to face Alec. He rose to address them "Ito has a conviction to do right and adhere to the Code. I disagree with his interpretation of it but I do admire his desire to adhere to the light." He now looked directly t Ito as he spoke. Any error is from my teaching, I ask the council to let it be corrected. The boy means well and that means he is not lost to us.

Ito watched the masters turn inward among themselves as Alec spoke.. He gathered his strength and focus to state "The order seeks to control the free will of living beings, to support a political order that benefits itself. That is a selfish act, the order fears change, loss of power. Fear leads to anger and war, war is hate and suffering for all. This selfish fear brings the path to the dark side for our order". In tis moment Ito still believed in the order. His certainty they would empathize and understand if not agree. The Jedi code was compassion and respect for all living beings after all. What came next would crush his soul and test him for years to come.

Each member of the council in turn rose to say one word with cold impassion, "Exile". A unanimous vote branding him a heretic and an enemy of all he has known and loved. A hard rejection of the very community he loved and wished only to serve. His heart pained for the future of the Order, he feared what Jedi could become. His hurt, shame and fear tested his training and will to hold onto the light side of the force He wondered if these were his true feeing and motivations or if they were reactions to the realignment council. Doubt crept into his soul. He knew there was great risk here, but now was less certain who was making the risk. Ito meditated inward to steel himself against these dangerous emotions both direct toward him and arising within himself.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder he opened his eyes to Master Ancel standing before him in a now empty chamber. "Ito I believe this has begun your trial of knighthood. You desire the light and you will not deviate from that path. As you are tested you must remain true to yourself. You are no longer of the order, I cannot help you. Do not change, do not fail your trial my padawan." Ito remained speechless so he continued/ "The order will keep you from a normal life. They will punish you, as you leave the Order they will not let you join the citizenry of the Republic, you will exist an outcast of both. They will punish you but I want you to keep your conviction to the light. Just as you resist this war you must resist the pain and suffering exile will bring you. If you give into them, embrace the dark side because of it, they will send me to stop you. I do not want that." He hugged Ito and said into his ear "I love you and wish the force be with you."

As Temple guards entered Alec released his embrace. Ito struggled for clarity and softly spoke "Thank you for that, ad for your teaching. I …." Words failed him as the guards directed him away to be stripped of his robes, left penniless and lone on the streets of the capital while the clone wars engulfed the galaxy.

Over the next few year the Jedi fought gallantly to protect the Republic never seeing how they were being manipulated by the Sith. Climatically they battled Sith Lord Palpatine for direct control of the Republic. They lost the battle before it was begun. They entered the fight to take control of the government directly convinced it could not be trusted to the Sith or the Senate. They had abandoned heir code and that was the true goal of the Sith manipulations, to destroy them from within their souls.

They finality of defeat came from Order 66, justified now to make the Sith the Hero of the Republic. Afterwards the Jedi were gone discredited and hated while the Sith reigned over the Empire. Ito remained through it all. Shunned and punished during the war then hunted after.


End file.
